First transgender solon in PH joins military

Bataan Representative Geraldine Roman, the country’s first transgender congresswoman, took her oath as a reservist officer of Armed Forces of the Philippines on Wednesday morning.

Roman is also the first transgender officer commissioned by the armed forces. Her oath-taking as a reservist of the Philippine Army was administered by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana at the Department of National Defense (DND) headquarters at Camp Aguinaldo, the DND said in a statement.

The solon applied to the reserve force in February last year.

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“War and disaster do not recognize gender, it affects everybody, and everyone must defend and serve our communities, and our country, that is why I am joining the AFP Reserve Force,” Roman was quoted as saying.

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